Browns offseason grade positive from ESPN but had different backup QB expectation

Trading for Justin Fields instead of signing Jameis Winston knocked the Browns offseason grade

The Cleveland Browns offseason wasn’t the busiest compared to what GM Andrew Berry’s have been since taking over the team in 2020. The biggest moves were trading for WR Jerry Jeudy and extending the contracts of HC Kevin Stefanski and Berry.

Overall, the Browns added or retained the following during this NFL offseason:

• DE Za’Darius Smith
• OL Maurice Hurst
• S Rodney McLeod
• P Corey Bojorquez
• RB D’Onta Foreman
• QB Jameis Winston
• LB Jordan Hicks
• DL Quinton Jefferson
• RB Nyheim Hines
• OL Brian Allen
• LB Devin Bush

Cleveland did lose a few players:

• TE Harrison Bryant
• LB Sione Takitaki
• LB Anthony Walker Jr.
• QB Joe Flacco
• DT Jordan Elliott

The Browns also added six players in the 2024 NFL draft with Michael Hall Jr. the lone player expected to have an impact this season.

Overall, ESPN gave Cleveland’s offseason a “B+” grade but noted that not trading for QB Justin Fields was a negative:

My biggest critique of the Browns this offseason is what they didn’t do at quarterback. They added Jameis Winston (and Tyler Huntley) as their backups over Joe Flacco, which was fine given Flacco’s age and lack of recent success prior to 2023. But they could have aimed higher. While the Browns are heavily invested in Deshaun Watson, he has played poorly enough in Cleveland that the team ought to look at alternatives rather than run out the clock on a talented roster. Not trading for Fields, who was eventually dealt for a conditional sixth-round pick, was a misstep, in my view.

While the upside of Fields is there, assuming that he would be a better option than any of the veterans, including Flacco, is misguided. Fields has a chance with the Pittsburgh Steelers but expecting him to be the backup plan to Watson, and assuming he is better than Winston, Huntley or Flacco, doesn’t fit what we’ve seen on the field. It would be based only on hope.

How would you grade the Browns offseason?